by Christin Brown | January 17, 2014 | News Releases
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 17, 2014 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today urged Gov. Tom Corbett and his Department of State to heed the Commonwealth Court ruling striking down Pennsylvania’s bad voter ID law.
The law had required all voters to produce approved photo identification prior to casting their votes in election.
“From the beginning, the Corbett administration’s voter ID push was a farce. It found its way into Pennsylvania’s law books because it was a one-sided, misguided attempt to control election outcome in the name of preventing fraud.
“Judge McGinley’s statement that ‘The right to vote … is irreplaceable, necessitating its protection before any deprivation occurs’ is spot on and should be a clarion call to this administration that this farce needs to end now.
“The petitioners did a great job proving there is very little fraud in Philadelphia and throughout the state.
“Millions of dollars have already been wasted in trying to convince judges that Pennsylvania’s voter ID law somehow fits in with the state and U.S. constitutions. Gov. Corbett need not waste any more taxpayer dollars defending this edict before the state Supreme Court.
“Let us return elections to the generations of registered Pennsylvania voters who have gone to the polls with only their signatures. It is what we expect. It is what should be.”
###
Follow Sen. Christine Tartaglione on Facebook and her website.
by Christin Brown | October 2, 2012 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, Oct. 2, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today said a Commonwealth Court decision restores voting rights for thousands of Pennsylvanians, but can’t entirely fix a “costly mistake.”
“I’ve been confident all along that the courts would see the serious flaws and dubious reasoning behind voter ID,” Tartaglione said. Unfortunately, the ruling comes after the millions of dollars were wasted trying to get this done in time to affect the presidential election. The effort was a costly mistake and it comes at a time when we’re cutting back on help for families with disabled children and other important social services.
Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson ordered state election officials to continue the “soft roll-out” of voter ID, similar to what took place in the spring primary. Voters will be asked for ID, but will not be required to present it to vote.
Tartaglione said a great deal of damage has already been done by the push to convince voters they need a certain type of photo ID to vote and efforts in the next few weeks should focus on clarifying the situation for voters.
“I hope the administration has a plan for trying to set the record straight for thousands of voters that were misinformed over the past few months,” she said. “It’s a mess that has to be cleaned up.”
Tartaglione said the issue has been a chief source of anxiety in her district which has a disproportionate number of affected voters.
“For months I’ve been hearing from frustrated seniors, students and others who didn’t know what the requirements were and the requirements kept changing,” she said.
by Christin Brown | October 2, 2012 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2012 – Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today released the following statement on today’s Commonwealth Court ruling:
“I’ve been confident all along that the courts would see the serious flaws and dubious reasoning behind voter ID.
With just over a month to go before the election, we have to switch our focus to making sure that people know they can vote just as they did in the primary and that their votes will be counted.
Unfortunately, the ruling comes after the millions of dollars were wasted trying to get this done in time to affect the presidential election. The effort was a costly mistake and it comes at a time when we’re cutting back on help for families with disabled children and other important social services.
For months I’ve been hearing from frustrated seniors, students and others who didn’t know what the requirements were and the requirements kept changing.
Now, I can tell them that they can express their frustration the way the Founders intended them to: by voting.”
by Christin Brown | March 7, 2012 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 7, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today said Senate approval of a bill requiring photo identification from voters, which comes one week after the Corbett administration barred disabled visitors from public areas of the Capitol, represents a “disturbing trend” for people already struggling under state budget cuts.
“Creating barriers to prevent the disabled from voicing their grievances with their government, either inside the Capitol or inside the polling place, has become a priority with the legislature’s Republican majority and the current administration,” Tartaglione said.
The Senate today passed House Bill 934 along largely party lines, after rejecting a Tartaglione amendment to exempt those with disabilities.
“More than 20 years after implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pennsylvania is still struggling to make all polling places accessible,” Tartaglione said. “Creating bureaucratic barriers on top of that sends a clear message to more than a million Pennsylvanians that this administration has no interest in hearing from them.”
Last week, Tartaglione wrote a letter to Corbett protesting the closure of Capitol hallways and elevators on February 29, when advocates for the disabled planned a rally.
Signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, the letter cited the action’s “disturbing overtones of discrimination.”
“Such a policy represents an unconstitutional overreach of executive power, and it fosters distrust and alienation between the government and the people it is elected to represent,” the letter said.
The bill, which now heads to Corbett’s desk, is expected to cost as much as $11 million in the first year. Tartaglione said that money would be better used to improve a program that provides loans to disabled Pennsylvanians for purchase of technology that would allow them to return to the workforce.
“Nearly 200,000 Americans were disabled fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Tartaglione said. “Creating barriers to their participation in the government for which they sacrificed is repugnant and shameful.”
Listen to the Senator’s remarks following the floor vote on the Voter ID legislation:[audio:https://www.senatortartaglione.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/voter-id-reaction-sen.tartaglione-03-07-10.mp3|titles=voter-id-reaction-sen.tartaglione-03-07-10]
###
by Christin Brown | March 6, 2012 | News Releases
HARRISBURG, March 5, 2011 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today released the following statement regarding Appropriations Committee action on House Bill 934:
“Tonight’s action in the Appropriations Committee revealed a stark lack of consideration for the thousands of Pennsylvanians who will be disenfranchised by photo identification requirements for voters.
Rejecting attempts to soften the impact through voter education and ensure participation through protections for voting rights, the Republican majority ignored the concerns of seniors, minorities, the disabled, the poor and the poorly educated.
The bill that came out of the committee tonight is another attempt to marginalize Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens and silence their voice.
It’s appalling that the same lawmakers who can’t find a penny to spare for insolvent school districts, or road repairs are willing to waste millions on this appalling attempt to keep people from the polls.”
###
